BOSTON MA USA -- HEALTHCARE UPDATE NEWS SERVICE(TM) -- NOVEMBER 14, 2003: Trust is the number one predictor of patient loyalty to a physician practice, while distrust is correlated with disenrollment from managed care. In addition, trust factors are most powerful in becoming an employer of choice.

According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, when questioned about whom they trust to make the right decision about their health care, 43% of respondents said physicians. Only 22% said hospitals. Just 8% said managed care plans.

Harvard School of Public Health announces 4 executive education programs for health care professionals to learn how to transform distrust into trust and how to measure and manage trust in both clinical and organizational settings. Participants will discover practical strategies for leveraging earned trust equity into a trusted reputation.

In each of these programs, expert faculty from Harvard and the health care industry will help you seize opportunities for better performance through improved trust. The emphasis is on practical applications as participants tackle the realities of trust-building and develop strategies and tactics that can be used in their organizations. Through lectures, case studies, interactive discussions, panel discussions, and workshops, participants speed along the learning curve of trust and see how to earn a measurable return from an investment in trust-building.